


And a Kiss...?

by parkrstark



Category: Castle
Genre: Coming Out, F/M, Family Shenanigans, First Kiss, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Picnic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2014-05-25
Packaged: 2018-01-26 12:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1687886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkrstark/pseuds/parkrstark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castle, Beckett, Ryan and Espo go to the NYPD's Annual Summer Picnic. </p><p>Castle signs up Ryan and Espo up for a "Partners"(read: lovers) game to try and get the two together, but it turns out something else other than knowing everything about your partner is needed to win...</p>
            </blockquote>





	And a Kiss...?

**Author's Note:**

> Idk i'm typing this on my ipod because my kindle got reset and won't log in to my account and now I lost my fanfiction i was like 20,000 words in to. Fml
> 
> So i decided to cool down and just write Rysposito. 
> 
> This takes place before Jenny, but Caskett is together so in that retrospect its kinda timeline au, but that's it. 

xXx  
Castle and Beckett walked down the small path in Central Park approaching the closed off area a few yards in front of them. 

Today was the annual NYPD Summer picnic and for the first time, the three detectives (plus Castle) were all free and and didn't have anything to do so they decided to attend. 

Ryan and Espsoito told Castle and Beckett they'd meet them at the park at noon.   
"Yeah, we're coming," Beckett said into her phone. "No, I can't see you." She rolled her eyes, "Ryan, I'm still not even inside the gate, calm down."

Castle gave Beckett an amused look. Ryan had been most excited when they all decided to come because there were so many games and contests that Ryan was sure the four of them could win. 

"Go get a pretzel with Espo and we'll meet you there in a second, okay? Good." She nodded and hung up. 

"Someone has ants in their pants." Castle noted as the two finally walked through the gate. 

"He's just annoyed because Esposito ate all his popcorn already." Beckett smiled shaking her head. 

"I guess it's true." Castle sighed. 

"What?"

"Kids really don't get along when their parents are gone." He grinned. 

Beckett playfully pinched his arm. "I blame the father,"

Castle was about to retort back when a sign at a booth caught his eye. He read it over with a michevious grin. Beckett recognized it right away. 

"Castle, what are you thinking?"

"'How well do you know your partner? Compete with other couples and find out which couple knows more about each other and who doesn't!'" Castle read the flier before handing it to Beckett. 

Beckett quickly shook her head, "Are you kidding me? Gates will find out about us if we play this!" 

Castle shook his head, "I wasn't referring to us. I know another partnership that would take first place." He raised his eyebrows and lowered them. 

"Castle, lovers, not work partners." She rolled her eyes and yet another idiotic plan of his. 

He ignored her and turned to the woman running the booth, "Where do I sign up?"

xXx

"Finally!" Ryan said when Castle and Beckett sat next to them. "This moron ate all my popcorn and then when I asked him to buy me more he ate that too!"

"I was hungry," Espo shrugged with a small grin. 

Beckett pulled two bucks from her pocket, "Go buy him another popcorn- and don't eat it this time!" 

"Yes, mother." Espo started to sulk away, but Castle grabbed his arm. 

"Hurry back, because I signed you two up for a game that may start soon."

Espo stopped and eyed the writer, "What kind of game?"

"You know, just one of those trust exercise kind of thing to do with your partner." He hid his fib behind a straight face. 

"I don't need no game, Castle, to prove I trust my partner." He pocketed the money instead and crossed his arms at Castle. 

"I know, but I heard there was a good prize." He smiled knowing that man wouldn't be able to resist the game knowing there was a prize. 

"What is it?"

"They won't say," Castle shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you'll have to find out."  
Esposito opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by the man on the loudspeaker. 

"All contestants in taking part in te partners game please meet at center by the stage."

Espo eyed Castle before grabbing Ryan's bare arm, "Come on, Kev, let's go."

Kevin smiled and followed, "We got this, bro."

Castle watched as the two made their way to the stage and turned to Beckett. "They'll win."

"Do they have any idea what they're getting themselves into?"

"Nope."

xXx

Ryan ran the instructions through his head again trying to make sense of all this.

The male was to go behind stage and answer all questions on cardboard they were given while the women waited in their seats. And then once finished, the two would reunite and the women would answer the same questions and if her answer matched her boyfriend/husband's answer they earned a point. 

It seemed like a swell game, if Ryan and Espo weren't the only ones up there who weren't partners. It was Castle's fault, really. 

"Castle, you dickwad!" Espo shouted from stage when he realized the same thing. 

Castle simply shrugged his shoulders, "Whoops, wrong partners." 

Espo glared before turning to the host, "We forfeit, sorry."

"The Ryan-and-Esposito partnership gives up, huh?" A voice from the chairs next to them grinned. "Wouldn't be the first time."  
"Shut up, Gales, your just jealous no one stays long enough with you consider to them a partner. 

"Why would I be jealous of fags like you?" He snorted pulling his wife closer. She was a beautiful woman, no doubt. Espo and Ryan still shot out theories to why she'd stay with him. 

"Castle signed us up as a joke, okay? We're not really playing this." Espo rolled his eyes about to turn away.

Behind him, Ryan shifted uncomfortably. Why was he disappointed that they weren't really going to play? It would be a fun, fully heterosexual experience right?

The host, Tom Jones, butted in, "If you leave, you'll give up the chance of a one week all expense paid trip to the Caribbean." He eyed the partners. "To win that, all you need to know is your partner; that simple!"

Espo looked around at the other three couples; there was Gales and his wife, some intern and his girlfriend and then Franks (who already noticeably drunk) with his 4th wife, Cleo (or maybe Tracy; Espo forgot the day after he was introduced). 

Gales knew his wife and she knew him; they've been married for 9 years. The chances that they beat the other two were 100%, but if he and Ryan played they could easily beat Gales. 

He was only agreeing to play because he didn't want Gales to win the Caribbean vacation; not because he thinks a getaway to the Caribbean with Ryan would be fun...

"Let's go," Espo smiled with determination. 

The host grinned, "Excellent, would all of the males now come with me?"

Gales glared at the two before stalking off.  
   
"I'm gonna go, Kev."

"Why are you the man?" Kevin asked offended. 

"Because you're the girl."

"Says who?"

"Me."

"So you have final say?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I thought what the wife says goes," Ryan huffed. 

"So you admit you're the wife?" Esposito grinned. 

Ryan groaned, "No. That's not--"

"Hurry up, we haven't got all day!"  
Gales called from the steps with the other two men. 

"Goodbye, lover." Espo said sarcastically blowing a kiss before joining the men in the back. 

Ryan cleared his throat trying to get the butterflies out of his stomach. Sure maybe along the years, Ryan had gained some romantic feelings towards his partner, but he had already gone years without him finding out and there was no way a stupid game in the park was going to blow it for him. 

He'd just have to play off everything as part of the game and maybe Espo wouldn't notice. 

Ryan was so lost in thought before he knew it, they had returned. Ryan gave Espo a shaky smile and Espo gave him a confused look before the announcer began speaking. 

"Now is the time to start, folks. Which partners do you think know each other best?" He walked in front of the first couple,

"Boyfriend and girlfriend, Max Kaper and Sydney White?" A few claps were heard. 

He walked to the next two, "Husband and wife for 7 months, Harris and Cleo Franks." A few more claps and a whistle was heard.  
   
"What about husband and wife for 9 years, Travis and Cathy Gales?" Whoops, whistles and claps followed. 

"Last but not least, partners for 13 years, Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan!" It was quiet until someone screamed, "Go Roach!" And then the others soon followed with the loudest vote. 

Esposito grinned smugly over at Gales, 'Suck it,' He mouthed. 

"How about we start off with some easy questions and then get harder? There will be 10 all together." The 8 contestants nodded and the host smiled walking towards couple #1. 

"Sydney, how would you describe your relationship in one word?"

She hesitated, but smiled when she answered, "I think our relationship is perfect!" 

Tom turned to her boyfriend, "How did you describe it?"

Max held up his board and the word "Cool" was scribbled causing him to wince when Sydney yelled at him, "Cool?! I can't believe you! You better not have written crap answers for all of them, Maximus!" 

Tom continued to the next couple, "Ohh, looks like we're already off to a bumpy start, hopefully you smoothen it out."

Cleo smiled and spoke, "Breath-taking,"

Harris smiled and lifted his card and read, "Crazy!"

Cleo was silent, looking slightly alarmed, Cleo was known as the "stick in the mud wife"; it was always graceful this and soothing that; not crazy. There was awkard silence, but broken when someone shouted from the crowd, "Wrong wife, Franks!"

Cleo gasped and grabbed the cardboard before smacking him upside the head because she was mortified. 

Tom laughed, "This isn't as easy as it seems, folks."

Once he was in front of Cathy she smiled sweetly, "Fairytale."

Gales nodded and lifted his card that also read, "Fairytale"

"Finally!" Tom joked to the audience erupting a chorus of laughter. "10 points for Couple #3!" The two high fived as there points were added to the board. 

Tom walked towards Ryan and Espo and leaned towards Ryan, "So how would you describe your relationship? Get it right and you tie up the game, get it wrong and you'll join the club."

"Our relationship?" Ryan asked slowly. 

"Yes," Tom repeated. 

"Um," Ryan fumbled with his tie. "Heterosexual?" He guessed looking at Espo who was laughing. Ryan watched him lift the board and laughed to see that Espo had also put "heterosexual". 

Castle could be heard whooping and clapping as their points were added and Gales kept up his glare. Ryan and Esposito shared a smile and looked over at Castle and Beckett. Castle was smiling enthusiastically at the two as Becket shook her head with a smile. 

"Couples 3 and 4 each have 10 points and 1 and 2 have 0. Let's continue!"  
Castle watched from his seats; his applause getting louder and louder as Ryan and Esposito continued to answer every question the same. 

"Guess who's going to the Caribbean?" Castle laughed. 

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll love all the romantic couple packages that they'll win." Beckett pointed out pulling her hair into a ponytail to cool off. 

"I'm sure they will." Castle winked. 

"Oh God," Beckett groaned. "Not this again. Rick, how many times do I have to tell you to let them figure all this out on their own."

"If I do that, we'll be dead when they finally realize it! I'm just giving them a little push." He smiled sweetly and brought her into a side hug. "If this works, you owe me a dollar."

Beckett laughed, "A dollar?" She shrugged her shoulders before he could change his mind. "Okay, deal."

"No, wait a full body massage." He grinned purring quietly. 

Beckett smacked his arm, "Don't do that," She laughed lightly. "And how did you go from a dollar to that?" 

"I don't know, but it was good!" He grinned looking very proud of himself. 

Beckett and Castle turned their attention back to the game and they were currently asking the 6th question.

The standings were as follows;  
Couple #1(Max and Sydney)- 20 points  
Couple #2(Harris and Cleo)- 40 points  
Couple #3(Gales and Cathy)- 40 points   
Couple #4(Ryan and Espo)- 50 points

Tom smiled, "Okay, ladies and gentlemen! Time for our 6th question!" He cleared his throat and read from his notecard, "When was the last time that you had sex?"  
Gales looked over at Ryan and Espo and laughed. 

Sydney blushed looking between her boyfriend and the crowd before she softly spoke into her microphone, "Never."

Max looked at her like she had ten heads, "What...?" He lifted his card that said 'last week'. 

"Ohh!" The crowd chorused. 

Sydney narrowed her eyes, "You idiot! My father is watching!" 

The color drained from his face and he stood up, "Wait! Wrong girlfriend! I don't want the points, I want to live; she's right!"

Sydney scoffed, "Like that makes it better? Great job."

Tom laughed before turning to the next couple. Harris was obviously about to pass out soon from all his drinking, but that didn't stop them from playing. "This morning," Cleo said with a blush. 

Harris flipped over his card and read aloud with a slight slur, "We fucked it hard this morning in the bathroom in some store." He laughed. "I don't remember where, but I remember it was good."

Tom quickly quieted him before he could continue, "I asked for when not your full experience. Moving on!"

Cathy and Gales both answered two days ago and then it was Ryan and Espo's turn. Ryan shrugged his shoulders, "Uh, never."

"You don't seem to sure of that!" Gales yelled from his seat. 

Espo showed Tom his card that also read never. 

Tom nodded and gave them points, but Gales wasn't pleased. "Hey, Tom, can you lose points for lying?" 

Esposito glared and yelled back, "Nope, but you can lose a ball for being an asshole!" He balled up his fist as a threat. 

"Alright, let's calm it down, boys." Tom said before pulling out another card.

"Girls," he looked up and cringed, "And Ryan," 

Espo laughed and clapped his partner's shoulder. "You were right the first time, Tom." 

Ryan swatted his head away with a friendly glare. "Shut up."

Tom ignored the bantering and continued, "We asked the men what their favorite physical trait about you was and now you must answer what you think about yourself turns on your partner."

Ryan laughed looking towards Espo with a smile who was wiggling his eyebrows in a teasing suggestive way. 

"My butt." Sydney answered almost bored-like. And on Max's card was butt.   
Tom laughed and snapped his fingers, "10 more points for Couple #1!"

Cleo smoother her hair and said, "My legs," but when Harris laughed and flipped his card over she was horrified to see he had written boobs.

"Are you kidding me?!" She turned away from him, "I think you better start looking for a 5th wife."

Tom shook his head and went to the Gales before that fight escalated. "My nose," Cleo smiled squeezing her husband's hand. 

He cringed and slowly turned his card and whispered, "Dimples..."

"What? Travis, you always talk about my 'button nose'! You've never mentioned my dimples!" 

"What am I supposed to say? Nice dimples, babe?"

"Yes!" She yelled. 

He groaned and dropped his head because if Ryan and Espo got this right, they would be behind twenty points. 

"So, how do I turn him on?" Ryan repeated with a laugh. 

"Physical appearance wise, yes." Tom confirmed. 

"Well, I am quite the turn on, but I think it's my eyes." Ryan laughed, his baby blue eyes sparkling. 

Espo laughed picking his card up with a slight blush, "His eyes." 

Tom laughed and slapped his leg, "Well, I'll be damned!" He turned to the crowd, "Couple 4 with a perfect score so far!"

Gales groaned and refused to look over at Ryan or Esposito. 

The next two questions were simple for Ryan and Espo. 

"What is your relationship built upon?"  
Both replied with bantering. 

The 9th was, "Which fictional duo would you compare yourselves to?"

Ryan hesitated, "Not including Roach?" Tom shook his head and Espo smiled.   
"Um, Sherlock and Watson."

Espo laughed and lifted his card. First he had written Roach but that was crossed out and underneath he wrote Sherlock and Watson. 

Ryan laughed and high fived him both exchanging smiles. 

"Now folks, Couples 3 and 4 are in the lead with Couple 3 trailing 4 by twenty points!" He shook his finger, "You may think that there is no way they can catch up, but this last round is worth 30 points, but only one team can steal the points!

"The boys may have notices they were only asked 9 questions, but there are 10 rounds." He grinned. 

Ryan looked over at Espo, but Espo shrugged his shoulders so they turned to glare at Castle, but he too was genuinely confused.

"The object of this round is to see which couple can kiss the longest!" He smiled and that caused Gales to turn to Ryan and Espo with a grin. 

"Looks like I'm going to the Caribbean, boys! Have fun at work!" He chuckled licking his lips. 

Ryan turned to Espo and was speechless, "I, what..."

Esposito glared at Gales and then turned to his partner. "I'm not losing to him."

"Well maybe one of the others will win?" Ryan suggested. 

"Seriously, Kev?" 

Ryan shrugged his shoulders shifting in his seat, was Esposito suggesting that they should really kiss? 

Esposito continued, "We don't need to be the longest, I mean we have to beat Gales, and I guess that's probably going to be the longest, but we both know it's just a stupid thing so Gales doesn't win, right?"

Ryan let out a shaky breath, "Yeah, just a stupid thing." Ryan was glad he was sitting behind a table so no one would see that he didn't think this was just a 'stupid thing' through his pants. 

"Boys, would you like to forfeit now?" Tom asked, "You can still win if the Gales don't."

Ryan kept quiet because he knew if he tried to speak his voice would be like jello. Esposito spoke for them anyway, "Lose to Gales? I'd jump off a bridge before I lose to him. This'll be nothing."

Ryan gulped and smiled at Espo and gave him a thumb up. 

"Alright, starting in 10 seconds and whoever stops first; loses and it will continue until one couple is left. Get ready!"

Ryan and Espo both took a deep breath and looked eachother in the eye, "You okay with this, Ry?" 

Ryan smiled, "Yeah, Javi, you?"

"I'm good." He leaned in closer when Tom counted down from five seconds. 

When he reached 0, it was a blur to who filled the gap first, but suddenly their lips were touching and moving in sync. 

It started off rough and messy, but they soon got into rhythm. Ryan couldn't help the groan that escaped when he felt Espo's tongue flick into his mouth and tease his.   
Ryan wanted more, moving closer to grab his partner's cheek with his hand and use more force to satisfy his need to taste Esposito. 

Ryan loved the smile he felt against his mouth when Espo felt Ryan's hand on his cheek. 

Castle and Beckett watched wide eyed from the audience. Max and Sydney were already out and Cleo and Harris seemed to be losing strength, but the Gales and Ryan and Espo seemed to be going strong, especially the latter. 

At first Espo had simply sat there, but something sparked between the two and Ryan let himself go and Espo was enjoying it. 

"That doesn't look like it's just a kiss to win." Castle smirked at Beckett. 

"Oh my God," She said with her mouth slightly agape. 

"So about that full body massage...?" He smirked and Beckett groaned.

Back on the stage, it was now between the Gales and Ryan and Espo. 

"Never in a million years would I have bet on this outcome." Tom laughed, "Who will win?"

Ryan and Espo didn't hear him though because they were lost in their own world. 

Espo rested his tongue for a second causing Ryan to whimper and pull him closer. Espo laughed and made up for his short lack of tongue play with an even more forceful kiss. 

"Javi," Ryan muttered into the kiss not stopping. 

"Hmm?" Espo slide his tongue back into Ryan's mouth loving the little groans he caused. 

"This, us--" Ryan breathed, but Espo nipped his tongue causing him to go silent for a moment and just kiss. 

"Don't worry," Espo said starting to lose his breath, "I want it too."

Ryan laughed and slowed down with his kiss to enjoy this moment. He was having a difficulty hiding the bulge in his pants, but he didn't care because he was having too much fun with Espo. 

"And the Gales are out!" Tom suddenly announced. "The winner is Couple #4!"  
Everyone in the audience stood up and cheered for the two. 

Ryan and Espo slowly came apart when they heard this, their foreheads touching as they struggled to regain their breath. 

"So," Ryan smiled, "do we deny it or..." He found Espo's hand with his and laced their fingers together. 

Espo licked his swollen lips, "A la mierda, mi amor*." He whispered nipping once again at Ryan's lip. 

Ryan shifted again, "In a second you're gonna make me need a new pair of pants." He groaned feeling himself getting harder just from his partner's Spanish. 

Tom came over and interrupted the two, "Congratulations! You two have won a trip to the Caribbean!"

"I'd go to Hell for a week if it meant I could have him," Espo whispered. 

The two pulled apart when he heard an angry pair of footsteps. "This is not fair! How could they win?!"

"Come on, Travis, you're embarrassing me!" His wife yelled grabbing his arm and dragging him off the stage. 

"Fucking queers!" Travis spit before he was dragged off. 

"So when's that vacation?" Ryan smiled at Espo. 

Espo grinned pulling his partner into his chest, "I don't know, but I don't want to wait until then to change our answer question number 6."

Ryan grinned, "I'm ready if you are."

Espo laughed, "Let's get out of here, Kev."

**Author's Note:**

> *translation- "Fuck it, my love"


End file.
